I just got a mailing from MTC hyping a new service called "511" (511.org) that will use "anonymous" FasTrak polling in order to calculate real-time drive times in the bay area. Cool, but everyone's worried about privacy, right? They do claim that all IDs are scrambled and nobody will know what car or FasTrak tags are used when polled, but what pisses me off is their idea of "opt-out:"

"If you prefer not to participate in this program, but still want the convenience of using FasTrak, place your toll tag in the enclosed Mylar bag after you have passed through the toll plaza ; then it cannot be detected by the roadside readers."

No, not "place your toll tag in the protective bag and send it back to us for a modified unit." They actually expect people to drive through the fastrak lane, take the transponder off the windshield, and hide it in an antistatic bag? Every time you use the system? Geezus, why not just stop and pay by cash? Also, unless the metering lights are on, isn't it kind of dangerous to futz around with the transponder while you're driving?

Whoever thought of this scheme should be seriously beaten.

 

thats terrible, it defeats the purpose of it, I agree, I would rather pay cash then to deal with that bull****

 

i have a question. When coming off 880 and going towards the dumbarton (sp?) bridge, i've done this twice now. The last two times i've had people in my car so i was in the car pool lane. I stayed in it till i got to the toll booths and i stop but notice the car pool is the fast track lane and theres no oen working the booths. I stopped both time looked around then just drove off without paying. LOL with people in the car do you get to cross for free or whats the deal? ALso do they have cameras and will like get my license plate or somethig?

 

Crossing the bridge is free if you've got a carpool and it's during carpool hours.

-Brian

 

so thats what that letter was for. i didnt have the time to read it yet. it sounds like bs to me. good thing i wont have to cross the san mateo as much next year.

 

You know I don't even mind participating in the survey. Heck I wouldn't even be that pissed if they said "we're doing this, you have no choice." I'm just insulted that they would suggest people perform such a ludicrous procedure.

Why not have people drive past the toll plaza, park, cross five lanes of traffic to reach the roadside readers, type a username/password into a datapad, choose "do not count my car in your survey this time," run back to their car, and continue driving? It's only marginally less convenient that what they suggest, and a lot safer too, since you won't be driving with one hand in merging traffic trying to fit the damned transponder into a tiny silver bag with the other.

Government morons.